The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-09-17
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF
OLD SETTLERS.
DARIUS REED.
One Of he First Settlers IN La Sale County,
4 New Yorker in Illinois, Chicago
.SIty FEARS Age-LVe IN
Pioneer Days.

Pioneer Digs,
One Of the first settlers of In Sale county
and the earliest now surviving OF those
hardy and enterprising pioneers is MIR. Da-
RUS Reed, of Brookfeld, who came here and
made his permanent home near Marseiiles,
southeast Of Marseilos, over sixty years ago.
He was born at Pttsiord, Monroe county,
sixteen miles south Of Rochester, New York,
June 3, 1916. Ills father, Reuben Reed,
was of Scotch descent, and said Of himself
that he was "part Scotch and part Yankee.
His mothers name was Hannah Bailey, and
there were six in their family, one boy and
one girl older than Darius. They lived in
Pittsfcrl few years, when his mother died
They moved from New York, in 1870, to
Eastern Kentucky, and afterward made an
other change Of location to Newport in that
State. While at the former place in the
Bourbon State, Mr.. Reed, the elder, was at
tackled by white swelling in one knee, which
gave him great pain and disabed MIN from
work for year; then it disappeared almost
rs suddenly az it came, but after short
time il reappeared with more virulence than
before; bat, after just another years agony
to its helpless victim, took its final derar'
ture. Mr.. Reeds long illness, and the heavy
bills of the doctors reduced the family to
very close quarters for food besides, the
discouragements which had overaken hin
as a Kentucky farmer, caused him to make
another start for life lie moved to the Ohio
River, where, by the help Of his neighbors
he built sort of pirogue, or Aat boat
sometimes known as ga family scow,' &
form Of boat peculiar to the western river.
in early days, and mouopolized by movers
Mr.. Reed had soldiers land warrant,
relic Of the war against England, AMI he de
sired to locate it in the nearest military
tract" consisting of bodies Of land in thu
vast territories comprised in the States G
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wis
consin, ccled to the United States by Vir
ginia, in 1887, and by the wise craftsmanship
Of Thomas Jefferson, slavery was forever ex
cluded from its boundaries, and a section 0
land in every township of six miles squar,
was given for free schools.
HARD TIMES.
While in Kentucky, as indicated above, tn
| Reed family had hard times. Mrs. keeC
died, Mr.. Reed was nearly bedridden fo
two years, and the boys did what they couic
@ TO keep the pot boiling" Arriving il
Cincinnati they Jared trle better, bat still
their lines were hard Mr.. Reed sold hi
land warrant to a slightly colored gentle
man, and with tho proceeds bought hors
and drny, and essayed, by the calling Of ;
draymnn, to support himself and smalle,
children. He bound Darius and next brother
in years TO prominent farmer, known ~
Colonel Reese Price, with whom they re
manned year, when unfortunately that gen
tleman went crazy, and the boys were taken
back by their father. Darius was under
nine wears old at this time. He remembers
Mr. Price with regret, as he was very kind
TO his two little apprentices. He was law
yer, and also had q farm. The boys were
| 900 small to do heavy work, They ia InC
"Norcs," drove the GOws-fo water daily,
and helped abaRj the fields or the barn in
light affairs, during one fall and winter and
part of the next spring, until their kind
master became insane 1t was said that his
mental troubles arose from fever sore
which prevented him from giving such at
tcution to his extensive business as he
thought requisite.
The boys resumed life with their father
who, by this time, had taken second wife
widow. They soon after started
FOR ILLINOIS,
They moved in wagons to Chicago. They
had several wagons loaded with the persona
effects Of fourteen persons, who comprisct
the moving party. Among whom were MIR
and Mrs. Reed and four SONS, Mrs. Reed
daughter, and Mr.. llibbard and wife. They
were four weeks going from Cincinnati t
Chicapo Il was towards autumn, Darius re